how deep is your accessibility empathy sxsw workshop 2017

2017 SXSW Workshop Yvonne So, Samantha Rembo

#AccessEmpathy

How Deep is Your Accessibility Empathy?

Quick Introductions

#AccessEmpathy 2

Who we are

Yvonne• Principal UX Designer, Intuit• Mobile Product Lead & Strategist• Accessibility Advocate • Background at University of Texas’

Accessibility Institute

#AccessEmpathy 3

Samantha• Head of Design and Research Studios, Intuit• Global Co-Leader, Special Needs & Abilities

Employee Network • President, Board of Directors, Adaptive Sports

and Recreations Association, San Diego

What and Why

#AccessEmpathy 4

What is accessibility?

Accessibility“...the degree to which a product, service, or environment is available to as many people as possible.”

#AccessEmpathy 5

What is a disability?

Disability“...physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity.”

#AccessEmpathy 6

• Vision • Movement • Thinking • Remembering • Learning • Communicating• Hearing • Mental Health• Social Relationships

Types of disabilities

Why should I care?

15% of the world’s population (approximately one billion people) experience some form of disability, and each of us will likely encounter some form of disability in our lives.

#AccessEmpathy 7

There are also many legal rules and regulations

#AccessEmpathy 8

1990: Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

1998: Section 508

1999: WCAG 1.0

2008: WCAG 2.0

2010: 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CCVA)

Quick statistics on vision alone

1.3 million Americans have legal blindness

More than 3 million Americans have low vision

One in six Americans (17%, 16.5 million), 45 years and older, have some form of vision impairment even when wearing glasses or contact lenses

Vision impairment increases with age (21%, age 65 and older)

#AccessEmpathy 9

Colorblindness

Colorblindness affects approximately 8% of males and 0.5% of females.

#AccessEmpathy 10

How can we keep accessibility in mind when making decisions about the things we build for the public?

Empathy is key

Understanding disabilities, practicing accessibility, and designing inclusively begins with getting deeply rooted in customer empathy.

#AccessEmpathy 12

Empathy vs. Sympathy

#AccessEmpathy 13

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Evwgu369Jw

Empathy “the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.”

Empathy Exercises

#AccessEmpathy 14

Auditory

#AccessEmpathy 15

With the noise canceling headphones (or with cotton balls in ears), try:

• Listening to what your neighbor is saying

• Watching a video on your Facebook feed

• Lip reading what we are saying

Mobility

#AccessEmpathy 16

Using the limiting gloves, try:

• Opening and closing the Ziploc bag

• Taking a picture with your phone

• Writing your name or drawing something on a piece of paper

Vision

#AccessEmpathy 17

With a pair of simulator goggles, try:

• Reading this slide

• Reading Hamlet

• Finding Waldo

• Reading the signs in this room

• Shaking your neighbor’s hand

#AccessEmpathy 18

Choose your own empathy experience

#AccessEmpathy 19

Wearing a pair of blindfolds, limiting gloves, or cotton balls or all of them together, try:

• Making a phone call or sending a text

• Taking a selfie

• Draw your journey from home to SXSW in the flipbooks provided

Table discussions

#AccessEmpathy 20

What was your experience like?

How did you feel?

What were some of the challenges you faced?

How has your perspective changed?

What might you do differently moving forward?

Examine life scenarios

#AccessEmpathy 21

How would you:

Travel to your next destination?

Order your meal at a café or restaurant or food truck?

Shop for groceries?

Use the restroom?

Read a book?

Write a letter?

Interactions with Interfaces

#AccessEmpathy 22

Security Verification

#AccessEmpathy 23

Weather App

#AccessEmpathy 24

Text and Readability

#AccessEmpathy 25

Virtual Reality

#AccessEmpathy 26

Battery Charger

#AccessEmpathy 27

Washer and Dryer

#AccessEmpathy 28

Technology Capabilities

#AccessEmpathy 29

Leverage native device capabilities

#AccessEmpathy 30

Leverage common built-in accessibility features

#AccessEmpathy 31

Text-to-speech

Speech-to-text

Pinch and zoom

Text magnification

Alternate gestures

Custom ring and vibrations

Color or brightness contrast

Haptic feedback

Thinking inclusively, designing for everyone

#AccessEmpathy 32

http://www.apple.com/accessibility/

Next Steps

#AccessEmpathy 33

Next steps beyond this workshop

Understand that people with permanent disabilities live with a disability 24/7.

#AccessEmpathy 34

Remember that this is just a 1.5 hour workshop…

Keep practicing empathy

Don’t lose the empathy, and keep practicing empathy!

Some exercises to try:

Try brushing your teeth with your non-dominant hand

Use keyboard only, no mouse allowed

Try out different accessibility features on your device

Speak out your text messages

#AccessEmpathy 35

Take this back to your teams

Implement empathy exercises with scrum teams

Get issues and stories on project boards

#AccessEmpathy 36

Learn together

Learn together!

Test with your teams, question if there’s any technical limitations, etc.

#AccessEmpathy 37

Get connected

Get plugged in with local networks and communities

Find and test with users

#AccessEmpathy 38

Additional Resources

#AccessEmpathy 39

Get inspired through innovation

Example Accessible Apps

Vibeat Wearable

Color Scale Demo

The Bradley Watch

Voice Access Beta

Bone Conduction Headphones

Wayfindr

Get deeply rooted in empathy

Spark Innovation Through Empathic Design

Design for Delight Empathy Map

Girls Who Code Summer Camp at Intuit

Special Needs and Abilities Network

Deer Valley Disability Awareness Packet

Enabled by Design

“Accessibility is a creative challenge, not a challenge to creativity.”

Manifesto for Accessible User Experiencehttps://accessibleux.org/manifesto-for-accessible-user-experience/

#AccessEmpathy 40

Thank you!

Yvonne Soyvonne_so@intuit.com Twitter: @yvonniksTumblr: blog.yvonniks.com

#AccessEmpathy 41

Samantha Rembosamantha_rembo@intuit.com Linkedin: @samantharembo